The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-31
ONE SHOT SINKS A SHIP.
What the New Nitro Gelatine Gun
Has the Fiendish Power to Do.

The new gun for the use of which,
subject to the approval of the Secretary
of the Navy, Congress has appropriated
the sum of $3.50, 600, to be applied to the
construction of a vessel which will carry
three of them, will carry 400 pound
proiectile, is 121S-inch caiiber and fifty
feet in length, and VIII be operated by
compressed air, the extreme length of
the gun being necessary to secure
greater speed for the proIectile, as the
air continues to accelerate its motion
from the breech to the muzzls. There
will be battery of three of these guns,
trained on the perpendicular, for the
vessel which carries them will never
expose her broadside to an enemy. She
will fire stern on, and then, if neces-
sary retire to load without turning, so
that she will never present much of a
mark to be fired at. and each gun can be
loaded and worked by SINCE man.
The explosive agent to be used in this
gun is nitro-gelatine or nitro-glycerine
gelatinized. 1t will be placed in a steel
projectile eleven feet in length AS a
fuse could not be used witt out explod-
ing the projectile prematurely, and
percussion is hazardous, electricity is
used for exploding it, battery being
placed in the point Of the projecJile,
which produces spark by conclusion
or by the action of water on sensitized
surface, while at the other end OF the
is knob which answers the
purpose of radder and steers it with
the greatest accuracy. From the expert
ments which have been made at Fort
Lafayette with one of these guns it is
found that the nitrogelatine can be
fired two miles with precision, and with
no risk to those handling it, as the air
gun generates no heat. 1t will, in fact,
throw projectile of the same proper
tons two-thirds as far as the rif1ed
cannon. 1t has the great advantage,
also, OF making no noise or smoke, so
that no attention would be called to its
discharge from q vessel or a shore
battery. Its adaptability to field opera
ton is also established, as it is found
that guns are perfectly practicable
which will throw from ten to twenty
i've pounds of nitro-gelatine the dis
lance of mile.
Such in substance are the general
characteristics of the new explosive and
the gun which fires it. Its deadly.
effects have been so well demonstrated
that naval experts did not hesitate to
say that one of these proiectiles. striking
her amidship, would destroy any vessel
of war af1oat and every one on board of
her. This is sufficiently destructive, to
say the least, and it brings on the inter
esting question how long war could last
i all nations were supplied with it, and
i the result of the struggle were simply
dependent on the alertness of one enemy
N firing his nitro gelatine first. A COM
pat of this sort, where single shot can
destroy the most powerful vessel and all
On board, raze fertilization to the
ground, or, if used in the field, blow
whole regiment to kingdom come, would
not be very desirable one. Strategic
would be supplanted by
slaughter, and it is question
able whether men could be found will
ng to march to certain death. The
1ew French explosive "melinite," is
laid to be ten times more powerful than
1itro-glycerine.- Chicago Tribune.